Enjoy the long weekend, see you bright and early Tuesday morning.
work by Francoise Collandr
Friday, August 31, 2018
Flipped
Business Insider: Cohen's lawyer says he's completely flipped and will give information of Trump-linked conspiracy with Russia by Alex Lockie
Lanny Davis, the attorney representing Michael Cohen, suggested on Wednesday that Cohen had knowledge of a conspiracy between President Donald Trump and Russia.
Friday
Watching news outlets last night, there is a general sense that today may become a day of 'big' news. There is general speculation that we may have another Mueller indictment this very afternoon. We shall see.
A Bunch Of Old Sods
NY Times: The Catholic Church Is Sick With Sex - Outside of condemning adulterous behavior, Christ never said anything about who you could love. By Timothy Egan
One pope was a father of 10 through multiple mistresses, a man who purchased the papacy with mule-loads of silver. It is said that Alexander VI, the most debauched of the Borgia pontiffs, elected in 1492, even had an affair with one of his daughters.
Another pope contracted syphilis during his reign — a “disease very fond of priests, especially rich priests,” as the saying went in Renaissance times. That was Julius II, known as “Il terrible.”
Biden Rips Trump A New One At McCain's Memorial
NY Times: At McCain’s Memorial, Tears, Laughs and Allusions to the Man Not Invited
Mr. Biden, a Democrat who served for over two decades with Mr. McCain in the Senate, said his former colleague offered “hate no safe harbor” and was willing to work with anybody who shared his moral code.
“He’d part company with you if you lacked the basic values of decency, respect, knowing that this project is bigger than yourself,” said Mr. Biden.
The Market On Friday
Good morning. At 9:15 a.m. ET the DOW is -71 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly lower.
CNN: Coke gets some coffee; Tencent tumbles; NAFTA deal? by Mark Thompson
CNN: Coke gets some coffee; Tencent tumbles; NAFTA deal? by Mark Thompson
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Corrupt, Of Course
Guardian UK: Giuliani says firm defending corrupt Romanian-American is paying him - Trump’s attorney said he wrote to the Romanian president under a retainer paid by Freeh Group, who represent Gabriel Popoviciu
Donald Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani is being paid to assist lawyers working to free a wealthy Romanian-American real estate magnate who was convicted and sentenced to prison over a corrupt land deal.
A White Minority
NY Times: Who’s Afraid of a White Minority? The battle over how to project the future population of the United States has profound political implications. By Thomas B. Edsall
Currently, 14 to 15 percent of infants born in the United States are multiethnic or multiracial, a number that was just 11 to 12 percent in 2000. But despite the fact that most of those children have a white parent, inadequacies in the census classifications mean that the great majority of them are identified as nonwhites. This is important, because most partly white individuals behave like whites in sociological terms. They grow up in neighborhoods with many whites, have white friends as adults, think of themselves mostly as white or partly white, and marry whites.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are -66 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
CNN: Amazon on fire; NAFTA progress; Emerging market pain by Charles Riley
CNN: Amazon on fire; NAFTA progress; Emerging market pain by Charles Riley
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Read This
Guardian UK: How to be human: the man who was raised by wolves - Abandoned as a child, Marcos RodrÃguez Pantoja survived alone in the wild for 15 years. But living with people proved to be even more difficult. By Matthew Bremner
His story is that he was abandoned as a child of seven, in 1953, and left to fend for himself. Alone in the wild, as he tells it, he was raised by wolves, who protected and sheltered him. With no one to talk to, he lost the use of language, and began to bark, chirp, screech and howl.
Twelve years later, police found him hiding in the mountains, wrapped in a deerskin and with long, matted hair. He tried to flee, but the officers caught him, tied his hands and brought him to the nearest village. Eventually a young priest brought him to the hospital ward of a convent in Madrid, where he stayed for a year and received a remedial education from the nuns.
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are -2 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open slightly lower.
CNN: Tech vs. Trump; Musk tweets; Aston Martin IPO by Charles Riley
CNN: Tech vs. Trump; Musk tweets; Aston Martin IPO by Charles Riley
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
As Sick As It Gets
NBC News: In closed-door meeting, Trump told Christian leaders he got rid of a law. He didn't. According to recorded excerpts of private remarks, he said evangelicals were "one election away from losing everything." by Aliza Nadi and Ken Dilanian
"The level of hatred, the level of anger is unbelievable," he said. "Part of it is because of some of the things I've done for you and for me and for my family, but I've done them. … This Nov. 6 election is very much a referendum on not only me, it's a referendum on your religion, it's a referendum on free speech and the First Amendment."
If the GOP loses, he said, "they will overturn everything that we've done and they'll do it quickly and violently, and violently. There's violence. When you look at Antifa and you look at some of these groups — these are violent people."
Skills
Medium: The Most Important Skill For Interacting With People
“When you meet someone, treat them as if they were in serious trouble: … and you will be right more than half the time.”—Henry Eyring
Whale Poop
Scientific American: How Whale Poop Could Counter Calls to Resume Commercial Hunting - Whales’ fecal matter feeds the ocean, giving conservationists another argument for saving them By Mike Shanahan
...whale excrement provides key nutrients that fuel the marine food chain, and that it also contributes to the ocean carbon cycle.
John McCain's Farewell Letter
Guardian UK: John McCain's farewell letter to America - Following the senator’s death, the following text was read at a news conference at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix
“We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. We weaken it when we hide behind walls, rather than tear them down, when we doubt the power of our ideals, rather than trust them to be the great force for change they have always been."
One Can Hope
NY Times: The End of Impunity - What Democrats can do with subpoena power. By Michelle Goldberg
Under a rarely used 1924 law passed after the Teapot Dome scandal, leaders of three congressional committees — the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee and the Joint Committee on Taxation — can each demand to see the president’s tax returns.
Mexico In, Canada Out
NY Times: Trump Reaches Revised Trade Deal With Mexico, Threatening to Leave Out Canada
...suggesting he was ready to jettison Canada from the trilateral trade pact if the country did not get on board quickly.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are +66 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open moderately higher.
CNN: Trump vs. Canada; Toyota's Uber deal; Tiffany earnings by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Trump vs. Canada; Toyota's Uber deal; Tiffany earnings by Alanna Petroff
Monday, August 27, 2018
The Petty President
NY Times: As a Nation Mourns McCain, Trump Is Conspicuously Absent
The president did not make even the most cursory public show of respect on Sunday for Mr. McCain, against whom he had continued to indulge a personal grievance even as it was apparent that the Arizona Republican was losing his battle with brain cancer.
The Market On Monday
Good morning. At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +147 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: Tesla reaction; NAFTA talks; Didi in trouble by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Tesla reaction; NAFTA talks; Didi in trouble by Alanna Petroff
Friday, August 24, 2018
It Will
The Atlantic: How This Will End - Sooner or later, tyrants are always abandoned by their followers. by Eliot A. Cohen
But it does seem more likely than it once was that he will go down in disgrace.
Samples
I just learned how to do this. These are samples of some of my music work from various CD's I've put out over the years. Some of it is orchestral work, some just guitar, some electronic. This is from Spotify, it's all about streaming these days.
From 'Silver': Phenomena
From 'Silver': Oop Ta Ti Ta
From 'Harvest Bell Ride': Fire And Swimming
From Particle: Council
From Il Progetto d'Amore: Illimitato Saltarello
From 'Silver': Silver
From 'Silver': Phenomena
From 'Silver': Oop Ta Ti Ta
From 'Harvest Bell Ride': Fire And Swimming
From Particle: Council
From Il Progetto d'Amore: Illimitato Saltarello
From 'Silver': Silver
Another Nail In Trump's Coffin
NBC News: Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg given immunity by prosecutors to testify
Prosecutors say Weisselberg told another executive to designate a reimbursement to Cohen for the Stormy Daniels hush-money payment as "legal expenses." by Tom Winter
The Palmer Report: Allen Weisselberg immunity deal means Donald Trump is toast by Daniel Cotter
The Palmer Report: Allen Weisselberg immunity deal means Donald Trump is toast by Daniel Cotter
Kathleen Williams
Guardian UK: She has a camper van, he has a private jet – can a Democrat take Montana?
Kathleen Williams is the Democratic nominee taking on one of the wealthiest members of Congress for the state’s sole House seat, which the GOP has held for nearly three decades
LA Killings
Guardian UK: Hundreds dead, no one charged: the uphill battle against LA police killings
Police shot Mack, a 30-year-old father of two, in the middle of a mall on the afternoon of 10 April, as he was holding a kitchen knife and having a mental health crisis. Less than 24 hours later, officers arrived at a park and killed Kenneth Ross Jr, another black resident who struggled with mental illness and was said to be fleeing when police shot him with a military-style rifle.
Slime Ball
NY Times: David Pecker, Chief of National Enquirer’s Publisher, Is Said to Get Immunity in Trump Inquiry
It was unclear on Thursday whether prosecutors had granted Mr. Pecker immunity for his involvement in the illegal campaign contributions, or simply agreed not to prosecute him based on the information he provided. One of the people briefed on the matter cautioned that Mr. Pecker could still face scrutiny.
White Supremacist
NY Times: Trump’s South Africa Tweet Seems to Embrace Racist Narrative on Land Dispute
...he embraced a common talking point among white supremacists who claim white genocide is being perpetrated in South Africa and around the world.
The Market On Friday
Good morning. At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +53 and the price of oil is up. The market is poised to open moderately higher.
CNN: Central bankers meet; Tech summit; Samsung's new smartphone by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Central bankers meet; Tech summit; Samsung's new smartphone by Alanna Petroff
Thursday, August 23, 2018
'My Dead Dad's Porno Tapes'
This is a beautiful short film. A son tries to piece together, make sense of, and understand his father through the stories, remembrances, possessions, left behind after the father dies in his early 50s.
Anatomy
NY Times: Anatomy of a Crime: Sex, Hush Money and a Trump Fixer’s Guilty Plea
For the first time, prosecutors said that the tabloid publisher American Media Inc. had been involved in deals to buy the silence of both Ms. Clifford and Ms. McDougal. And as early as August 2015, prosecutors revealed, Mr. Cohen communicated with the chairman of American Media, David J. Pecker, who agreed to turn the organization’s tip line into a trip wire that could detect potential trouble for Mr. Trump. Mr. Pecker agreed to “help deal with negative stories,” about Mr. Trump’s “relationships with women by, among other things, assisting the campaign in identifying such stories so they could be purchased and their publication avoided.”
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 9:20 a.m. DOW futures are -7 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open slightly lower.
CNN: US-China trade war ramps up; Stocks steady; Alibaba earnings by Alanna Petroff
CNN: US-China trade war ramps up; Stocks steady; Alibaba earnings by Alanna Petroff
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Attacks On Female Climate Scientists
Scientific American: As Climate Scientists Speak Out, Sexist Attacks Are on the Rise - Female researchers have faced everything from personal insults to death and rape threats By Scott Waldman, Niina Heikkinen
Some suggested that it coincides with rising societal tensions over gender and race, laid bare by President Trump’s political rise.
Egg Criminals
If you live outside of New York's Capital District, The Egg is a unique building in Albany N.Y. usually used for performances and concerts.
News 10: 4 arrested after climbing on roof of the Egg
News 10: 4 arrested after climbing on roof of the Egg
The Market On Wednesay
Good morning. At 9:15 a.m. ET the DOW is -28 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
CNN: Trump risks; US-China trade talks; Bull record by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Trump risks; US-China trade talks; Bull record by Alanna Petroff
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
At Trump's Direction
NY Times: Michael Cohen Says He Arranged Payments to Women at Trump’s Direction
...Mr. Trump had directed him to arrange payments to two women during the 2016 campaign to keep them from speaking publicly about affairs they said they had with Mr. Trump.
Melting
Vanity Fair: “They’re Squeezing Don Jr. Right Now”: As the Mueller Siege Tightens, Trump’s Twitter Rage Crests - White House counsel Don McGahn’s interviews with Mueller have rattled Trump to his core. “Total meltdown,” one outside adviser said of his mood, while a Republican ally described him as “extremely frustrated.” by Gabriel Sherman
Over the weekend, Trump blamed Giuliani for the entire Russia probe. According to a person to whom the conversation was described, Trump loudly said to his lawyer: “It’s your fault!
Rick Wilson's New Book
Guardian UK: Everything Trump Touches Dies review: a poison dart in the neck of the Republican monster
“Everything about Trump’s opening speech was moral poison to anyone who believed in any part of the American dream. Everything about his nationalist hucksterism smelled like … a knock on the door of authoritarian statism.”
The right is “merrily on board with a lunatic with delusions of godhood”.
“There’s an odds-on chance that our grandchildren will hear this tale while hunched over guttering fires in the ruins of a radioactive Mad Max-style hellscape.”
Corrupt
NY Times: When Power Corrupts - Institutional breakdown on display in the Catholic Church and the Oval Office. By Gail Collins and Bret Stephens
The idea of the president revoking the security clearances of his critics is slimy to the core. And if he ever does it to a current government employee who’s involved in an investigation of the White House — that would be where you do have to start talking impeachment.
Conservarives Targeted
NY Times: New Russian Hacking Targeted Republican Groups, Microsoft Says
The Russian military intelligence unit that sought to influence the 2016 election appears to have a new target: conservative American think tanks that have broken with President Trump and are seeking continued sanctions against Moscow, exposing oligarchs or pressing for human rights.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are +35 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open moderately higher.
CNN: Trump criticizes Powell; Stocks steady; Kohl's earnings by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Trump criticizes Powell; Stocks steady; Kohl's earnings by Alanna Petroff
Monday, August 20, 2018
Etzanoa
LA Times: Archaeologists explore a rural field in Kansas, and a lost city emerges By David Kelly
...he believes to be the lost city of Etzanoa, home to perhaps 20,000 people between 1450 and 1700.
Dishonest
Scientific American: Honest Liars: Dishonest Leaders May Be Perceived as Authentic - Donald Trump’s election suggests supporters view an outsider’s lies as symbolic protests against the establishment By Matthew Hutson
The researchers did tie the study to the 2016 election by surveying 402 participants, who were told that one of Trump's tweets about global warming being a hoax had been definitively debunked. Trump supporters were more likely than Clinton supporters to see the tweet as not literal but as a challenge to the elite.
Charles M. Blow's Latest
NY Times: Nixon, Clinton and Trump - The more Trump is cornered, the more he mirrors Richard Nixon. By Charles M. Blow
For me, it is clear that there was at least an attempt by members of the Trump team to conspire with Russians to influence the elections.
Cohen
NY Times: Michael Cohen, Trump’s Ex-Lawyer, Investigated for Bank Fraud Over $20 Million
...zeroed in on well over $20 million in loans obtained by taxi businesses that he and his family own...
...whether Mr. Cohen violated campaign finance or other laws by helping to arrange financial deals to secure the silence of women who said they had affairs with Mr. Trump.
The Market On Monday
Good morning. At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +39 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately higher.
CNN: Pepsi buys SodaStream; Stocks rising; Estee Lauder earnings by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Pepsi buys SodaStream; Stocks rising; Estee Lauder earnings by Alanna Petroff
Friday, August 17, 2018
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